Hog feeder



W, C. REYNOLDS May 16, 1939.

HOG FEEDER Filed Aug. 20, 1938 Patented May 16, 1939 2,158,253

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HoG FEEDER Walter C. Reynolds, Polo, 111.

Application August 20, 1938', Serial No. 2.25pm

4 Claims. (Cl..119-53.5)

This invention relates to a hog feeder and has is providedan'opening 4 *toallow the feed to be relation more particularly to a device of this kind readily placed within the'hopper. The portion of including a rotary hopper supported above a the top or head 3 through which the member 2 is trough, and it is an object of the invention to prodirected is provided "with the reinforcing -mernv a pp w h m n wh eby h f d m y her preferably a i right angle beam, through 5 be readily delivered to the trough with a minimum which the member 2' is alsodirected. The memof waste and wherein mean are provided to effect her 2 is freely disposed through the head 3 and rotation of the hopper by the rooting of the animember 5-so that the'hopper H'will readily rotate mals'in the trough. therearound.

A- furtherobject of the invention is to provide Threading upon the'member 2'above and below a feeder Of th s d inclu a rotatable hopper the head 3 and member 5 are the members or nuts open at its bottom together with a disk supported 5. By adjusting these members or nuts 6 up or within the lower portion of the hopper at subdown along the member 2 the hopper H may be stantially its center to carry a portion of the load raised or lowered with respect to the trough T as 5 of the feed within the hopper to reduce the fricmay be preferred. tional'resistance'oiferedjby the feed to the rota- In the present embodiment of my invention the tion'of the hopper, said disk also facilitating the hopper H is cylindrical in form with its lower or effective delivery of the feed within the trough bottom end open as is clearly illustrated in Figure positioned below the hop-per. l. The hopper H'When in applied position has ;z| The invention' consists in the details of corn its open or lower end terminating a desired dis- '20 struction and in the combination and arrangetance above the bottom'of the'trough T as is also ment of the several parts of'my improved hog shown in Figure 1. The lower portion of the feeder whereby certain important advantages are hopper H is intersected by the substantially perattained "and the device rendered simpler, less pendicularly related rods 7 which extend out- 35 expensive "and otherwise. more convenient and wardly beyond the side wall 8of the hopper H; advantageous for use,as"will be hereinafter more The central portion'of each of these rods 1 is fully 'setforth. formed to provide a coil 9 whichfreely surrounds The novel features of my invention will hereinthe rod I whereby means'are provided for holding after he definitely claimed. the lower 'portion'of the hopper H against swaytIn'order that my invention may be the better ing. understood, I will now proceed to describe the 'The extended portions "ofthe'rods l exteriorly same with reference to t o p y drawof the hopper H havefreely-mounted thereon the ing; wherein: rollers l0. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,"th'e Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken hopper H is of such diameter and the dimensions through a o f er construct in accordan of the rollers or sleeves m are such that the lower with an embodiment of my invention; portion of the hopper H and these rollers H! are Figure 2 is a Sectional View taken Substantially positioned entirely above the field defined by the on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, with parts in top upstanding side wall ll of the trough so that the plan; rooting of the animals eating from the trough i1) Figure 3 is a view in top plan of one of the rods will result in such contact with the rollers or 40 carried by the lower portion of the hopper and sleeves ID as to effect a rotation of the hopper H extending beyond the hopper to provide means and thus facilitate the discharge of the feed withwhereby the hopper is rotated by the rooting of in the hopper into the trough. the animals. Freely mounted upon the post or column I .3 As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, T within the hopper H and resting from above upon denotes a trough of desired dimensions and conthe c il 9 of th uppermost rod 1 is a flat disk l2 fi rat and x n in upw rd y r m h xi l of a radius considerably less than the internal cen of e tTOIlgh is a post or column I. The radius of the hopper H but of a size sufficient to top or upper end of the column or post I is rematerially support the weight of the feed placed 0 duced to provide an upwardly directed threaded within the hopper H so that frictional resistance member 2 which is disposed through the upper offered by the feed within the hopper to the rotaclosed end portion 3 of the hopper H. In the tion of the hopper is materially lessened thus present embodiment of the invention this upper allowing the feeder to be readily used in the feedclosed end 3 comprises a head which only partially ing of shoats as well as the larger animals. closes said upper end of the hopper H whereby Fixed to the post or column I within the hopper H above and immediately adjacent to the disk l2 as an outstanding and radially disposed clearance member M. This member I4 is nonrotatable and is herein disclosed as formed of a flat strip of metal having the major part of its extended portion one-quarter turned so that its fiat faces are horizontally disposed in order to minimize the resistance offered by this member 14 to feed within the hopper as the hopper H together with the disk I 2 rotates. This member 14 is of a length to terminate slightly beyond the periphery of the disk [2 and provides an effective means to clear off the feed upon the disk l2. It is to be particularly noted that this member l4 does not swing or rotate but that the feed within the hopper is moved against the member M as the hopper and/or the disk l2 rotates.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a hog feeder constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

l. A hog feeder comprising a trough, a centrally positioned upstanding column carried by the trough, a hopper rotatably mounted upon the column for rotation therearound, the lower end portion of the hopper being open, rods intersecting the lower portion of the hopper and extending outwardly therebeyond to provide means whereby the rooting of the animals in eating the feed within the trough will rotate the hopper, the central portions of the rods being so constructed and arranged to surround the column whereby the rods hold the lower portion of the hopper against swaying, a disk carried by the lower portion of the column and freely mounted thereon, said disk being of a radius less than the internal radius of the hopper.

2. A hog feeder comprising a trough, a centrally positioned upstanding column carried by the trough, a hopper rotatably mounted upon the column for rotation therearound, the lower end portion of the hopper being open, rods intersecting the lower portion of the hopper and extending outwardly therebeyond to provide means whereby the rooting of the animals in eating the feed within the trough will rotate the hopper, the central portions of the rods being so constructed and arranged to surround the column whereby the rods hold the lower portion of the hopper against swaying, a disk carried by the lower portion of the column and freely mounted thereon, said disk being of a radius less than the internal radius of the hopper, and a clearance member fixed to the column above the disk but closely adjacent thereto.

3. A hog feeder comprising a trough, a centrally positioned upstanding column carried by the trough, a hopper rotatably mounted upon the column for rotation therearound, the lower end portion of the hopper being open, rods intersecting the lower portion of the hopper and extending outwardly therebeyond to provide means whereby the rooting of the animals in eating the feed within the trough will rotate the hopper, the central portions of the rods being so constructed and arranged to surround the column whereby the rods hold the lower portion of the hopper against swaying, a disk carried by the lower portion of the column and freely mounted thereon, said disk being of a radius less than the internal radius of the hopper, and a clearance member fixed to the column above the disk but closely adjacent thereto, said member being of a length to terminate beyond the periphery of the disk.

4. A hog feeder comprising .a trough, a centrally positioned upstanding column carried by the trough, a hopper rotatably mounted upon the column for rotation therearound, the lower end portion of the hopper being open, rods intersecting the lower portion of the hopper and extending outwardly therebeyond to provide means whereby the rooting of the animals in eating the feed within the trough will rotate the hopper, the central portions of the rods being so constructed and arranged to surround the column whereby the rods hold the lower portion of the hopper against swaying, a disk carried by the lower portion of the column and freely mounted thereon, said disk being of a radius less than the internal radius of the hopper, and a clearance member fixed to the column above the disk but closely adjacent thereto, said member comprising a fiat strip having its flat faces horizontally arranged.

WALTER C. REYNOLDS. 

